


Bound by the Sky

by MrBluey



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Runaway, Anxiety, Dragon Master Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 00:54:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20787887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrBluey/pseuds/MrBluey
Summary: If anything—Astrid was surprised that Hiccup took it for as long as he did, it was no wonder that he finally got tired of trying to prove himself to people who wouldn’t give him the light of day to do so.It was a real shame, the rest of Berk never knew just how much they had lost before the brilliant boy took off to the open sea, setting off on his own adventure.…Astrid should really stop making a habit of thinking back on past mistakes in the morning.





	Bound by the Sky

Astrid never considered herself ever marrying.

She did well as a shieldmaiden, a valiant fighter, the pride and joy of Berk. With the constant heat of battle, and the tough training she undertook in her daily life, marriage simply seemed so far off from her world. 

A prospect her peers would perhaps undertake soon, but that life was never for her. She wasn’t saddened by this in the slightest, she enjoyed the exhilarating days filled with tough training, mead and camaraderie.

So what if she didn’t end up marrying, or getting kids for that matter? There were others who would happily take that responsibility upon themselves, starting a family and continuing the strong lineage for the next generation of Hooligans.

But there was only one Astrid Hofferson, only one shieldmaiden with enough fire in her heart to face even the toughest of foes. A viking-warrior through-and-through.

That wasn’t to say that she didn’t find herself wanting the comfort of partnership every once in a while.

Astrid would long—like any other—for someone to share her burdens with, someone to hold her in the night when things got tough. She desired comfort as much as any other after all, even if she would never admit it.

Fighting, training, performing her duties, having a warm cup of honeyed mead with family and friends when the day finally came to a close. This was the life of Astrid Hofferson, one she was content with living, and suspected wouldn’t change any time soon.

But one should never expect things to stay the same. Everything changes sooner or later, and Astrid knew this well enough, it was naive of her to suspect that her status quo would be the exception.

* * *

It was early morning, the sun had barely risen above the treeline, lighting up the still mostly sleeping isle of Berk.

Astrid had always been an early rise, the morning used for more important and productive stuff than simply sleeping in. So, with the crisp morning air still dusting the grass, she set out towards the edge of the woods to perform her morning routine.

Walking through the thicket of trees and long grass, Astrid finally reached a small clearing.

The trees around all wore very visible marks of her trusted axe and an assortment of other weapons which had repeatedly been lunged, swung, trusted and thrown at the thick oak. She had been using the place for years, far enough away as to not be a danger to the other villagers, close enough for a brisk morning trek.

Though she did love this private place of hers, she couldn’t take credit for finding it. That would go to Hiccup, the then young boy had used the place for building and testing out his contraptions.

She remembered finding him there years ago. Back then Astrid had been greatly frustrated by something. Trivial now as she had no recollection of what even was the source of her anger, but back then she sure had been furious.

Not wanting to lose her composure and blow up in public, Astrid had stomped aimlessly into the forest, clutching her battleaxe—wanting to blow off some steam before supper.

But then; amidst the great oaks and large bushes, obscuring the small haven she now called her own, Astrid found Hiccup sitting down on the ground, tinkering on something resembling a large mounted crossbow.

Right hand planted in the grass, supporting his wiry frame. The other handling a wrench attached to the large mechanism.

Holding a small tool between his teeth, a thin bead of sweat rolled down his brow before catching on his bottom lip. His expression was oddly calm, focused with a sense of purpose and confidence in his craft.

Without much thought Astrid had crouched between the bushes, just observing the young boy as he worked.

She had never seen that look on him before. He was always working on something, but with the constant nagging and buzzing of the other villagers, he never seemed entirely at ease as he did.

Astrid didn’t know why, but seeing him like that, wielding such an intense gaze made her chest cramp up a bit, her jaw clenched and throat dry. Hiccup moved his hand away from the contraption, standing up as he wiped his brow with his thin forearm, a subtle but genuine smile crept up his features as he looked over his progress.

Astrid couldn’t take any more of it, she needed to be anywhere but there right now. She needed to get back to the village, and quickly. But as she shifted her weight; a treacherous branch below her snapped. Startled by the sound, Hiccup immediately turned around to face the source, but found nothing as Astrid was long gone before he could notice her.

She ran through the woods, practically sprinting until she hit the edge of the thicket. Slumping down the side of a tree, panting as she tried to compose herself, the anger she felt going into the woods long forgotten, now replaced by an odd warmth in her chest and heat in her cheeks. She had convinced herself that it must have been from running, surely—that must have been it!

But after that encounter; the warmth never seemed to cool completely when she was around him.

* * *

Looking back on the experience now. Astrid regretted never pursuing that nagging feeling more, why Hiccup—the frail son of Stoick the Vast—intrigued her so much, why the warmth in her chest seemed to flair up when around him.

She’d had plenty of time to find out, Astrid had always been a woman of action. She could’ve just gone up to the boy and forced him to explain why he always seemed to intrude upon her mind.

Regrettably she never did that, and admittedly; it probably wouldn’t have been the best course of action, but at least it would have been something!

Feeling nostalgic wasn’t something Astrid normally tackled with. Besides, it was years ago that Hiccup finally decided to leave Berk in pursuit of his own destiny. She still vividly remembered Stoick announcing his son's disappearance, his face calm and serious, delivering the news with a matter-of-factly tone. Yet Astrid hadn’t missed how his left hand clutched the cursed letter with held-back sorrow.

Astrid couldn’t really blame Hiccup for his decision. Though she never treated him as poorly as some of the other villagers did, she never really made an effort to treat the boy with much respect either. He simply stood out too much in contrast to what was expected of the viking chief’s son.

Maybe he would have been alright if he just went along with the motions and stayed out of the spotlight. But Hiccup never was the type of person who simply gave up. He always tried to prove his worth to the rest of the village, even as they mocked him for it. He was a diligent worker and a brilliant inventor, though unfortunately—his mistakes always seemed to outshine his accomplishments in the eyes of his fellow vikings.

If anything—Astrid was surprised that Hiccup took it for as long as he did, it was no wonder that he finally got tired of trying to prove himself to people who wouldn’t give him the light of day to do so.

It was a real shame, the rest of Berk never knew just how much they had lost before the brilliant boy took off to the open sea, setting off on his own adventure.

…Astrid should really stop making a habit of thinking back on past mistakes in the morning.

Shaking her head, taking a deep breath. Astrid once again took hold of her axe, ready to begin her training.

But as she was bracing herself for the first strike, she heard the sound of branches snapping behind her.

Swiftly turning around, Astrid stared directly into the amber eyes of a deadly nadder. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared stunned at the deadly turquoise dragon, its spike-riddled tail slowly drifting behind it in the air as it just stared at her, eyes unblinking and body unnervingly still.

Astrid could feel the cold sweat pool all over her body, her muscles completely tensed; almost cramped.

Unable to move, her heart beating deafeningly in her chest; hyper aware of the gentle breath of the dragon no more than half a meter in front of her.

The dragons hadn’t raided the Archipelago for almost a year now. Apparently a year was all it took for her senses to become dull.

Astrid finally began to regain a speck of composure; just how long had she been standing there frozen in place? Should she try to strike the creature? No... that could only lead to disaster, the deadly dragon would have her nailed to a tree before she could even start to raise her axe.

Should she just run?… That—that didn’t seem any better.

Well she couldn’t just stand still there forever, if she didn’t act soon the dragon would!…

Why hadn’t the dragon killed her yet? It would have had ample time to do so before Astrid noticed the creature.

She should  _ really  _ stop losing track of her mind like that, she must have been completely gone inside of her own head as to let a  _ dragon  _ sneak up on her so easily. Yet despite her carelessness; nothing had happened yet. The dragon just stood there, calmly staring into her eyes at her as she contemplated her options.

But then, her panicked thoughts were briefly overshadowed by the distant sound of a high-pitched screech, echoing through the forest.

Astrid could recognize that sound from her nightmares—the roar of a night fury.

The nadder immediately snapped its head towards the sound in the distance, showing no regard for the viking before it.

She should strike the dragon down right then and there, it would be her best chance of survival, maybe her only chance.

But before she could act on any of the thoughts surging through her mind, the nadder took a few running steps before flapping its wings; leaping off the ground, quickly rising through the air.

She could see the turquoise-scaled dragon glide towards the source of the roar, just over the treetops before disappearing.

There Astrid stood completely still, frozen for what felt like the longest moment before letting a heavy held breath exit her. Coughing and gasping for air as she tried to regain control of her breath. She quickly composed herself, still shaking with adrenaline and fear pumping through her veins.

_ The village, _ she’s got to warn the village.

Immediately she set off through the woods, snapping branches and leaping over bushes before finally hitting the edge of the forest thicket overlooking the village center. Standing there, five of her fellow vikings were gripping onto a large net, wrestling to hold down the deadly nadder trapped below it, as it was struggling and failing to get free.

Swiftly descended the hillside, she spotted the black silhouette of a large winged creature gracefully landing a little ways away from the edge of the village. She had never seen the dragon with her own eyes, but it was unmistakable, this was the night fury she heard. Sleek body and taught muscles, designed to kill.

Standing still, only lowering its body ever so slightly, Astrid’s eye caught something else entirely, a tall lanky figure clad in dark leather from top to toe swung down the dragons side with a practised grace.

The dragon rider turned their gaze—obscured by a menacing leather helmet—towards her direction, tilting their head in a curious gesture before turning their attention towards the now armed group of vikings standing by the trapped nadder. And as the mysterious figure strode towards the armed men and women, Astrid felt a sense of dread pooling inside of her stomach as she swiftly descended the rest of the hill, trotting towards the growing cluster of armed vikings.

The stranger approached the villagers with both arms raised above their head in a gesture of peace that no one seemed to buy into. The chief; Stoick stepped forward from the crowd, not currently brandishing a weapon, but undoubtedly ready to don his axe at a moment's notice.

Astrid gathered amongst the others, finding a spot in the side of the group where she could clearly see both of the imposing figures approaching each other.

Stoick came to a halt—the rider mirrored the action. “What brings you here,  _ demon rider?” _ Stoick's voice boomed loud enough for the entire crowd of muttering vikings to clearly hear.

“I come in peace.” The rider exclaimed with matching timber, their voice—muffled by the leather mask—came out slightly ragged but with a calm weight of seriousness.

“I simply wish to have a word with you, chief of Berk. I have been tracking that nadder for quite some time, and if possible, I would like to—in exchange for the live dragon—offer some invaluable goods as compensation.”

The dragon rider slowly turned back towards the night fury, most of the vikings raising their weapons in response before Stoick held a single hand up in a signal to hold. The rider, stopping their movement at the show of weaponry, nodding a gesture of thanks towards the chief before continuing towards their dragon, retrieving something from one of the large satchels at the side of the fury’s saddle.

The rider returned to unveil a set of black scale armour, looking like something out of the tales of the gods.

“This mail is made out of night fury scales, it can resist the fire of most dragons, and takes a talon or tooth better than iron, only weighing little more than leather.”

Astrid—and what looked to be the rest of the village—looked upon the piece of armour with great interest and curiosity.

Stoick however continued to look the rider over with a collected and steady glare. Only answering with a hum of acknowledgment at the offer.

The rider didn’t seem to mind the scrutiny, though it was hard to tell with the mask obscuring all but their eyes. “Three sets of night fury mail and materials enough to make your own. Would that be suitable enough compensation for the nadder?”

Astrid had heard tales of the fabled dragon riders, or  _ "demon riders" _ as most of the archipelagos vikings had come to call them.

Their armour was the stuff of legends, if anything; the masked rider was underselling their offer, a single set of armour would alone be more than adequate.

Did this rider have another goal in mind with the  _ "suitable compensation", _ or were the riders really that unaware of just how sought after their equipment truly was?

Stoick simply looked at the rider with calculating eyes. Astrid knew the look well; their chief was thinking over the ordeal and any possible outcomes. It didn’t last for long as he visibly relaxed his taut muscles and uncrossed his arms, none the less intimidating.

“We do not welcome your  _ kind  _ here on Berk; not  _ you _ , nor your  _ winged demon.” _ Astrid swore she saw the rider tense slightly.

“But we are hospitable to those who bring along gifts and good will, that is the Hooligan way. You may spend the night here, drink and dine with us, then we may discuss trade.” The chief exclaimed with a sense of finality.

For no more than a moment, the rider stood still; looking their chief directly in the eyes, no malice nor outward joy displayed by the few visible features behind their mask, seemingly thinking over the offer and what might come with it.

Tilting their head ever so slightly to the side—glancing over the rest of the village standing behind the imposing figure of Stoick the Vast—the rider seemed to finally reach a conclusion.

Turning around the rider started walking over to their ebony scaled beast. Astrid—being too far away to hear any spoken words—saw the rider lay a calm but firm hand at the temple of the beast, who gently leaned into the touch with closed eyes. Slowly returning their hand, taking a couple of steps back; the supposed silent conversation came to an end, the dragon flapped its bat like wings with great heft; carrying itself into the air before turning around and shooting into the sky with effortless speed.

The rider looked off into the distance for a fleeting moment before turning back to the chief; Astrid so sure they would climb atop their dragon and leave the offer behind.

The rider gave a small nod of respect towards Stoick as they crossed their arms. “Very well. I will stay for the night.”

Stoick—happy with the situation—placed a large hand on the rider’s shoulder, giving them a toothy smile and hearty laugh.

“Wonderful! I will have you stay at the Hofferson’s, they should have a spare room ready for you soon.”

Turning his head, Stoick looked right at Astrid. “In the meantime however. Our shieldmaiden Astrid will show you around the isle.”

The whole village seemed to watch her intently for any sort of reaction. Feeling a cold chill run down her spine; her face locking up frozen as to mask any signs of anxiety and nervousness she was feeling at the moment. All she could do was swallow away the increasing dryness collecting in her throat and straighten her back; trying to compose herself.

The rider strolled forward, attention now entirely focused on Astrid, the way they took every step with natural finesse; their head tilting ever so slightly to the side as they captured her gaze. If Astrid should describe it, they looked almost prowling. More dragon than man.

_ “Astrid. _ A pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

She wanted to say something back, a snide comment, maybe or a court return of their greeting, anything really; It would have been better than just standing there getting lost in the green of their very much human eyes.

They didn’t seem to mind her silence. “Well then, seems like I'll be in your care.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first part of a smaller work of fiction I have been working on from time to time.  
Kudos and comments help me a long way to see if anyone would be interested in reading more, so be sure to leave some! :)


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